Farewell John Dutton: Kevin Costner Reveals He Will Not Return to 'Yellowstone' After Tense Negotiations and Bitter Divorce
“He’s in a world of pain. Everything is caving in on him now. It’s only a matter of time before he crumbles!”
June 21 2024, Published 11:30 a.m. ET
Kevin Costner has confirmed that he will not return to Yellowstone, ending over a year of speculation about his future with the series, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The actor, who has played patriarch John Dutton on Paramount Network's hit western TV drama since 2018, announced his decision in an informal video posted to his Instagram page late Thursday night.
"Hi everyone, I just want to reach out and let you know that after this long year and a half of working on Horizon and doing all the things that that's required and thinking about Yellowstone, that beloved series that I love, that I know you love, I just realized that I'm not going to be able to continue season 5B or into the future," Costner said.
"It was something that really changed me. I loved it. And I know you loved it. And I just wanted to let you know that I won't be returning," Costner added. "I love the relationship we've been able to develop, and I'll see you at the movies."
Kevin Costner is said to be in crisis and desperate to turn his luck around in the wake of his bitter divorce and movie flop.
Costner's exit from the show follows reports of creative differences with Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan and tense negotiations with producers over pay and scheduling conflicts with the filming of Horizon.
Costner wrote, directed, stars in, and reportedly spent $38 million of his own money to finance the four-part Horizon: An American Saga film series. The first movie is out June 28 and is expected to earn just $12 million on opening weekend, and Part 2 will hit theaters in August.
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Costner said he originally negotiated $12 million to film seasons five, six, and seven of 'Yellowstone.'
Although the six-episode second half of Yellowstone Season 5 was supposed to air in 2023, the show went on hiatus due to production delays caused by the Hollywood writers' and actors' strikes.
The show resumed production in Montana last month. Costner has said that he was open to appearing in the second half of the season to give his character closure but was unable to because "the scripts never came."
Kevin Costner said he wanted to work and had "felt stymied" in that desire.
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A rep for Paramount said in a statement that Costner "has been a big part of Yellowstone's success" and that "while we had hoped that we would continue working with him, unfortunately, we could not find a window that worked for him, all the other talent, and our production needs in order to move forward together. We respect that Kevin has prioritized his new film series and we wish him the best."
Although Yellowstone will end after the final run of episodes beginning on November 10, the saga will continue with a spin-off series that may star Matthew McConaughey or Michelle Pfeiffer.
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